1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a terminal fitting and to a connector provided therewith.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-285371 discloses a terminal fitting that is long and narrow in forward and backward directions. A rectangular tubular main portion is defined at the front half of the terminal fitting and is configured to receive a mating terminal. A wire crimping portion is defined at the rear half of the terminal fitting and is configured to be crimped into connection with an end of a wire. The terminal fitting then can be inserted into a cavity in a housing.
Terminal fittings may be used with wires having different diameters. In such cases, the height of the wire crimping portion is shorter when the wire is thin. On the other hand, the cavities are dimensioned so that the wire crimping portions are insertable into the cavities even if thick wires are crimped. Thus, a clearance is defined between the wire crimping portion of the terminal fitting crimped into connection with a thin wire and a wall of the cavity.
The terminal fitting may incline during insertion into the cavity because of the clearance between a wall of the cavity and the wire crimping portion of the terminal fitting crimped into connection with a thin wire. Thus, the front end of the main portion may collide with the ceiling of the cavity at the side opposite the lock, and smooth insertion of the terminal fitting may be hindered due to increased insertion resistance. More particularly, a terminal fitting that is inserted by hand must be pushed by holding the wire with fingers. The thin wire is not firm and is buckled easily upon receiving the large insertion resistance. Therefore, it is even more difficult to insert the terminal fitting smoothly.
The invention was developed in view of the above problem, and an object thereof is to provide a terminal fitting smoothly insertable into a cavity particularly even if the terminal fitting is crimped into connection with a thin wire.